Era of Darkness
by Like the Country
Summary: <html><head></head>In 358 days, you see Xion get beaten by Roxas and the story goes on as planned, but what if that didn't happen? What if Xion had won that fight? Roxas would've dissapeared, Sora would still be asleep, and Xion would've died away from all the memories she couldn't hold. Where did Roxas's and Sora's memories go though? Two young brothers, Xylas and Nexus. This is their story.</html>
1. Prologue

Prologue: Where We Stand 

Everything has gone to darkness. Even the small bit of light Xylas had in his dark world was away from him. He wasn't completely alone, for that he was grateful. He had a brother, loyal good little brother Nexus. Two friends who haven't left his side through all the insanity, Senixaye and Toxm.

"_Then again_," he thought, "_They could just be here for Lexatie._"

Lexatie. That's why he was in the lightless world of Hallow Bastion in the first place, why they were all there. He knew he messed up, badly, but through all of it he tried to be better. He tried to be better at controlling the darkness within him, the short temper he had, and overall be a better person. For her, possibly the closest person to him other than his own brother, he'd try.

"Looks like rain." Xylas snapped out of his thoughts as he looked up at the clouds starting to roll in slowly.

"Yeah it does." Nexus could tell his brother wasn't concerned about the weather. In fact, Xylas couldn't care any less if he tried and worried him. Xylas was always driven by his emotions, the darkness seeping into his heart didn't exactly help, and he stared at his keyblade. "Do you really think she's in there?"

"She has to be. She went with Maleficent last I heard." Nexus sighed and ran his fingers through his spiky hair and muttered, "How did Sora deal with this?" He looked over at his brother, wide eyed from the sudden thought that popped into his head, "You think we might find out more about him and the other guy?"

"Roxas?"

"Yeah." Xylas shrugged and looked over at the castle that was being surrounded by heartless.

"Maybe." He looked back over to his brother who's true face he hasn't seen in a while. He remember how about a little over a year ago the two woke up to their forms of Roxas and Sora. The memories of the two boys needed a safe haven before they disappeared completely, but it had to be strong hearts. Xylas and Nexus fit the bill perfectly. "You want to know more about Sora?"

"Well yeah, dreams about his old life isn't exactly all that explanatory." Xylas nodded in agreement, considering he was a bit curious about Roxas, but that curiosity died once their traveling began.

"We'll be on our way soon, okay?"

Nexus nodded, "Okay." The group were going to get her back today, no exceptions.

"Lexatie will come back to us, right?"

"She will."


	2. Inflitration

Chapter 1: Infiltration

Stormy clouds covered the sky as if warning of incoming danger. The sky was painted a shade above black but anyone without a clock would thought it was night time. Xylas looked at Nexus who just nodded.. The ultima weapon appeared in his hand with the flick of the wrist and he ran off onto a different street. Xylas tilted his head up to the incoming rain and let it drip down his face as he listened to the sound of silence. The silence before the storm. Shadows and Neo-shadows jumped out of their dark corners and portals, but Xylas just laughed. "You guys don't know when to quit, do you?" Xylas ran toward the dark crowd, ready to fight. Meanwhile, Nexus ran down the alleyways, determined to get closer to Hollow Bastion as quietly as possible.

"_So far so good," _he thought to himself. Nexus watched as the thunder rolled across the land and soon enough he was less than a block away from the cliff. He praised himself a little bit for making it to the objective point, but his new found happiness shattered at the sight of a dark army. "Oh my…" A hand grabbed his shoulder and he panicked, he was found. He swung his keyblade at the figure behind him, only to be blocked by the X-Blade and it's wielder. "Xylas, jeez man!"

"Sorry." Nexus rolled his eyes as Xylas looked over the small cliff. He saw the darkness in the crater and groaned. "There must be thousands of them."

"How are we going to get back inside Xylas?"

He shrugged, "Straight through the middle?" Nexus sent a look of "_Are you kidding me?"_ to Xylas who just laughed. "Well, Maleficent has had Hollow Bastion for too long. Too scared to fight a few heartless?" Xylas said with a devious smile.

"Of course not!" Xylas crossed his arms with a smug little smirk and Nexus glared. "Let's go."

"Senixaye, you're going to get us caught if you stand too long." Toxm, pulled her down by the arm and she fell on her bottom. "Seriously, you have one job. Watch for their signal. It's not going to work if the heartless SEE US."

"Calm down. I can't exactly do my job with you YELLING IN MY EAR." He rolled his eyes and she hit him on the head and squealed, "THAT'S IT! LET'S MOVE!" She ran down her designated path, leaving Toxm in the back looking very confused.

"What just happened? Wait! Seni-." He sighed. He quickly got to his feet and ran after her with incredible speed. "What are we supposed to do again?"

"We're the fastest so we're supposed to lead a good chunk away from the group. You know? Make it easier for them."

"Right… As long as I get to kill something." She groaned and nodded and he smirked. "Hurry up then! You're so slow!" He slipped past the incoming shadow crawling out of the dark corners, Senixaye right behind him yelling things that shouldn't be legal. They did what was according to plan, succeeding in it since they dragged the outer layer away from the huge army. Thus allowing Xylas and Nexus to slip into the crowd with their black hoods on. Slicing and dicing their way through the crowd.

"_We can do this! We have to do this!" _They thought as they neared the walls of the now being re-built castle. The army, however, got more and more crowded the closer they got. They were soon bounced back by a large body. "Dammit!" Nexus jumped up and hit the large bodies' head and it disappeared into thin air leaving behind a heart. "Now what?"

"We go to Twilight Town. What do you think?" Xylas said in a sarcastic tone. Xylas swung his X-Blade at the incoming heartless and both Xylas and Senixaye went on their own spree of heartless liberation. As soon as Toxm and Senixaye were done with their small group they jumped in deciding that the two needed back up. Reaching Hollow Bastion was their last chance.

"Xylas, how close are we?"

"Toxm, jump on that rock. You have the leg power to see where we are!" He nodded and rushed to the biggest rock in the area and jumped above the largest heartless' heads. "Well?"

"We're less than half way there!" He swung at some of the flying enemies before hitting the ground and Nexus growled.

"We're so close!"

"Xylas, there are too many!" Xylas nodded at Senixaye but he didn't call any orders. "Xylas!"

"This is the closest we've ever been! We can't stop now!" He cast a Thundaga spell and eliminated a small chunk of the group. The rest nodded as the slashed through the darkness threatening to take them. Firaga's were casted, frozen heartless could be seen, and the sight of leaves in the wind indicates a cura or two. However, what's so good about spells if you don't have any ethers left with you? "Toxm!"

"Less than a couple blocks!" Casting their last Thundaga, the keyblade wielders cut through the last chunk they needed before reaching their destination.

"Get inside! NOW! NOW! NOW!" All four ran inside the broken castle and took the small room of salvation to catch their breath. "We made it…"

"Holy… We're actually here!" Toxm walked around the area and looked around. "Not very home-y is it?"

"Not if she's still in here," Senixaye responded. Nexus placed his hand over the walls and frowned.

"This place has gone to hell…"

"Now that we're here, we're going to bring it back to what it used to be," Xylas said as his X-Blade flashed away. "Right now, let just rest." The group nodded and made themselves comfortable while Xylas was in deep thought. "_Okay… Now what? I've lead them this far now we need to deal with Maleficent… I don't know where to start and winging it won't exactly work….hmm." _

"Xylas." He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear Senixaye call him. "Xylas…..Xylas!" He snapped back into the world.

"Wha-...What is it?" he asked. Senixaye pointed to what looked like Master Keeper in front of the Keyhole to Darkness.

She asked, "What keyblade is that?"

"Its Master Keeper. A keyblade only held by masters." Nexus said.

"Why is something like that here?" Toxm asked.

"Well my guess is," Xylas answered pointing the keyblade at the Keyhole to Darkness, "Someone, a master probably, tried to open the keyhole with it, but they seemingly failed." The keyblade disappeared. "I'll hold on to that. In the mean time we need to destroy this thing.

"I think this is where I come in," Toxm said happily. "Give me a few seconds." Drawing Fenrir he tore the Keyhole to Darkness apart, piece by little piece, he let off the leftover steam from their battle earlier and soon enough it was nothing more than a part of their memory.

"Remind me to never fight him," Nexus whispered to Senixaye.

"Deal," she said and they laughed.


	3. Looking for Reasons to Leave

**Chapter 2: Looking for a Reason to Leave**

"My child, I sense your old group. Do you wish to see them?"

"No." Maleficent patted the girl's back and smiled at her in a cruel way. "Is Pete coming back soon?"

"In due time, Lexatie. For now I must ask you for a favor." Lexatie looked at her with a curious face. "Do you know about the keyholes?" Lexatie nodded hesitantly and Maleficent praised her new toy. "Magnificent! You know with that little key of yours you can lock them, but did you know you can unlock them as well?"

"No, I didn't."

"It's alright my dear, you will learn. Come. We'll talk." With the wave of her hand she opened herself a dark portal to where ever she needed. "Hopefully, that buffoon of a man will be back by now…"

Lexatie took one last glance at her old comrades, memories of fighting side by side them flooded her mind as she faded further into the castle. "Why are they even here? Why now?"

"Oh! Lexatie." Lexatie looked up at her new "mentor" and Maleficent roughly grabbed her face. Analyzing every aspect of it and her entire being. She was thinking long and hard about something, what that was exactly was too hard to tell. "You are my new favorite, do not disrespect me or you will regret it." Lexatie gulped at the sudden threat and summoned the Oathkeeper into her hand.

She jerked away from the cold hands and glared at her. "I chose to come to you, do not make me regret that decision." Maleficent raised an eyebrow and smiled at the courageous act of defiance.

"Well put. You may be my most valuable prize yet. Even more than…"

"Than who?"

"No one."

* * *

><p>"Look at this power; THE POWER OF DARKNESS!" James, now corrupt by darkness stared at Xylas and Lexatie with an evil smile on his face. "Look sis. This is the power that she gave me! The power strong enough to wield the X-Blade!"<p>

"James stop!" Lexatie yelled with tears in eyes. "You don't have to prove anything. You're the only brother I have so please just…..stop!" She looked to Xylas for some much needed guidance, "Xy….what are we gonna do?"

Xylas shook his head, "I-I don't know…"

"Don't worry sister, I understand that I am indeed your only brother, but someone doesn't." He pointed at Xylas with anger and disgust, "YOU! Always meddling with us and what we were doing. Never minding your own business! Soon sister, you will have the power of darkness." He drew the Void Gear and in a distorted voice yelled, "You will both understand!"

Time slowed down. Xylas thought, " _I have to protect her! My friend. The one that glows so bright with light… the light that fades..." _Time caught up and right before James reached them the X-Blade appeared in Xylas' hand, he blocked James' attack. "The Light that Shines Brightest!"

Xylas knocked James back as if he was nothing more than a tiny pebble. James looked towards Xylas with an irritated glare, "How do YOU have it!?" James asked in utter rage. "Impossible!" James charged at Xylas once more but in less than a second he cut James down.

James fell on his face and Lexatie ran and turned him over, "No! I don't want to lose you!" Tears flowed from her eyes down her cheeks. "C'mon! Stay with me!" She placed his head into her laps and cupped his cheek gently with her hand, pleading. "Please, you can't… You can't go!"

"Forgive me sis." James said as he slowly faded away. "I wasn't a good brother. I made plenty of mistakes… just be good. Don't follow my footsteps. Got it?" He whispered with a weak smile as he held the side of her face. He wiped a tear off her cheek, saying, "Don't cry for this old loser. I fucked up." Lexatie cried more with a sad smile; James, even with fatal wound, could make her laugh. James looked at Xylas, "I always thought you were around to act as the better brother, but I now see ... I was so blinded by that misunderstanding I fell into darkness. Heh.. if only I could see dad's face now. He'd be so mad. He'd take away the Kingdom Key for years." James laughed, grimaced at the sudden pain from his wound. He looked over at Lexatie who shed more tears and he gripped her hand tight one last time. "Stay golden sis… Stay golden..." He faded away his last words echoing in the air.

"No… No. NO! James!" She grasped at the last bit glittering substance that floated in the air but it disappeared as soon as she closed her hand. "Why…?" Lexatie asked herself. She then turned to Xylas, her voice shaking in anger, "Why did you kill him?

"What?" Xylas asked confused. "What was I supposed to do?! He was too far gone!"

"You didn't have to kill him! You're always so rash with your decisions! You never stop to think of better options!"

"You can't blame this on me! He charged at me! What was I supposed to do?"

"Dodge! Block! Something like that! Or you should've just stepped aside!"

"Why? So you could try to show him the light? Even if you were his sister, he wouldn't have listened. That wasn't your brother! THAT was another puppet!" He gasped and jumped back, a Firaga spell almost making contact. He looked up to Lexatie who drew her Oathkeeper and was in a fighting stance, glaring at him.

"Take. That. Back." Xylas shook his head, he refused to stand down. She growled and lunged at him, slashing attacked left and right and the sound of the two keyblades clashing filled the air.

He dodged her one last time and knocked her out with one blow. He caught her in his arms and looked in pure shock, "_What have I done?"_ He laid her down on the soft grass as Oathkeeper disappeared. He whispered, "I-I'm sorry…" as he vanished.

* * *

><p>Xylas snapped awake and looked around. He saw Toxm, Senixaye and Nexus sleep. Toxm looked very pleased with himself and Xylas laughed. "Poor Pete…" Slowly he rubbed his eyes and opened a dark corridor to a balcony of the castle. The rain had died away and it was clear outside. Everything was calm, even the heartless waiting just outside the doors weren't as rowdy. He sighed and someone came up next to him, leaning against the railing and looking out.<p>

"You know you're punishing yourself." Nexus looked around the land and rubbed his eyes. "You can't keep doing this."

"Doing what?"

"This. Thinking about what you could've done better or differently, thinking about what she said and where she might be now, getting mad. You did what you had to do, what happened, happened."

"If I just kept dodging-"

"I said stop!" He put a hand on Xylas' shoulder and gave him a serious look. "Stop. He would've killed you if he got the chance. Then he would've killed Lexatie by dragging her into the darkness, the way he would've if he didn't go."

"I ruined her life."

"You saved it!" Nexus patted Xylas back and sighed. "Hey Xylas, look me in the eye would you?" Xylas groaned and looked up, only to be met by the hilarious face Nexus was making. Xylas couldn't help but cover his mouth to refrain from laughing loudly. "Got you to laugh." He nudged Xylas who was in between happy that his brother did that and hitting him for doing that. "C'mon. The others will be up soon. We need a plan."

"Alright. Alright. Just never make that face again." He opened the dark corridor and both passed through it, chuckling and relaxing. Meanwhile, from a window on a higher floor she watched.

"You see my child, they are laughing." Maleficent watched as Lexatie got more and more vulnerable yet the darkness was not able to pierce her. She knew it was a waiting game, but it was getting rather frustrating for her.

"Maleficent, I would like to get back to work at other worlds." Lexatie stepped away from the window and away from the scene that unfolded before her. "If I may?"

"You may." She thanked Maleficent and left through a dark corridor. She looked to her trusty shadows and whispered, "Watch her my pets. Do not fail me." They faded away and she thought for a moment. "She's strong." She felt a presence come up behind her and she rolled her eyes, "You sniffling oaf."

"Dat guy was strong," Pete puffed out. He sat on the ground and just panted, "I barely made it out of dere." Maleficent was about to scold him but he stopped her by saying, "I found him though."

"Found him?" She raised an eyebrow and Pete sat there grinning, like a dog knowing it did a good thing for it's master. "How did you find him?"

"It wasn't dat hard if you just follow Lexatie. Everytime she opens a keyhole, he comes later on to close it." She smiled to herself at the thought of finding a new way of tracking her old pupil. "It won't be soon until they meet."

"No. They cannot meet. Although, this is splendid news. You did well Pete. This time..." She dismissed him and he left knowing his mistress was happy. She started thinking, speaking her thoughts to herself, "The child cannot meet him. No. His new found sense of justice will hurt my hold on her... No, not yet..." A dark neoshadow came to her and moved about as they usually do and she became irritated. "What is it?" It stood in front of her, twitching, and she smiled. "Another world's keyhole has been locked again? He has returned. If he has...The King must have..." She smiled and dismissed the heartless away.


	4. Resting

**Chapter 3: Resting **

"Senixaye, what are you doing?" Toxm looked over at her, she was lost in thought and hummed to herself. "Senixaye?"

"What?" She snapped back at him and he raised an eyebrow as to say, _"Who are you talking to?"_ She sighed and shook her head, "I was thinking about the first time I met you guys. Man, I was really..." She chuckled and looked at the others, "Remember how I used to be? I was so deep inside my shell I might've well been invisible."

"You were still accident prone then too." She sent a glare Toxm's direction and he coughed from the sudden heavy feeling in the room. "Go on."

She rolled her eyes and looked at the stain glass window in the castle, "Lexatie and the rest of you guys... You guys saved me from falling into darkness. I was almost beaten by that huge heartless. I wouldn't be here now. Thank you."

"Hey, you had to have a strong heart or else you wouldn't have survived. Why do you think the keyblade chose you?" She shrugged and smiled, "Give yourself some credit." Nexus threw her a big thumbs up before getting back to thinking up a plan. "Now, how are we going to climb up this place?"

"Someone like Maleficent must've already known we're in here. The real question should be why hasn't she done anything to us?" The group pondered on Toxm's question and were baffled.

"Holy crap, he's right for once." Toxm, refusing to acknowledge Senixaye's remark, waited for an answer. No one spoke and no one could think of anything.

"Toxm, how do you even know she's here?" Xylas asked, still pondering over the question.

"Pete's here. Everything that suck up does is for her. Besides, why else would there be a huge heartless army? They're not there without a reason." Xylas nodded and thought some more.

"You don't think she's with Lexatie do you?" Everyone snapped their heads at Nexus. They glared at the poor guy for thinking aloud, but he held his ground. "Think about it. Lexatie wouldn't want to confront us so Maleficent would have to leave us alone."

"No way! She is not working with her. If anything, she's here to slit her throat after what happened with…. You know…" Senixaye trailed off, not wanting to bring it up, and sighed. "How are we getting up this place?"

Xylas suddenly was trapped by his memories unable to think clearly. "_I wanted to help her...I tried to be there for her...I couldn't. I'm so stupid!"_ Xylas' thoughts overran his mind. "_To make matters worse I got trapped by darkness... the very thing I wanted to prevent from happening to... some example I was...goddamnit!"_

He fell to his knees. Nexus said, "Bro?" The air seemed heavy and dark.

" Nexus, what's happening?" Senixaye asked.

"I think..he lost it"

Xylas drew the X-Blade and charged and clashed with Nexus. Black hair and gold eyes morphed Xylas' appearance. "Damn" Nexus knocked Xylas into a wall. "We gotta go!"

"I'll hold him off!" Toxm told him. You and Senixaye get outta here!" Nexus nodded, knowing how dangerous the situation was, and started to flee with Senixaye following closely.

"C'mon!" Nexus and Senixaye ran deeper into the castle.

After what seemed like an hour of running Nexus and Senixaye stopped. "Wha- What happened. .to him?" Senixaye asked through her panting.

Nexus caught his breath and stood up. "A year ago, Xy was forced by Maleficent to make a decision. ...He was either to serve her in Darkness or she'd kill me and he'd live with the pain of knowing he let me die. So he chose the former but he was able to break free...but the darkness still held to him. It tried to control him but he fought it. Yet in still, if he managed to lose sight of the light in his heart darkness would take over..."

Senixaye stared unable to speak. She trembled in anger unable to hold it down."Why is it that he always suffers?! He risked his life to save me and even was there for Toxm when he was losing his heart! Yet he is never okay, always singled out haunted by his past!...why?"

Nexus didn't have an answer. All he could do was wonder two things: the same as she and why it angered her so much that she was yelling into silence. "Lets just keep moving." Nexus smiled. "Before you know it they'll both be here and we can take down Maleficent and bring Lexatie home."

Senixaye calmed down. She smile back saying, "Lets go."

Toxm breathed heavily. Bloody and tired he laid on the floor. Xylas stood above him saying nothing but staring intensely. Toxm croaked, "Tha-That all you got? I thought you were a lot stron-" Before he could even finish Xylas rammed the X-Blade into his chest and twisted it. Toxm growled through his teeth in agony. Xylas pulled it out and walked away. Toxm, losing blood fainted.

"He still is a pawn of darkness," Maleficent laughed. "This is perfect! With him and the girl in my grasp there will be no stopping me!" She laughed more with the feeling of victory in her chest. "Now only one piece remains..."


End file.
